On a weekend when the Nuggets organization should be popping champagne to celebrate having a large footprint in the All-Star game, and weekend as a whole, there’s going to be a fair amount of nail-biting when coach George Karl’s contract officially becomes a national issue.

And while there is very real skepticism among many hardcore Nuggets fans, who foolishly or not wonder if Karl is the right coach to take the team to a title, the rest of the nation is simply going to wonder why he hasn’t been locked into a new deal.

They’ll wonder why the seventh all-time winningest coach in NBA history, a four-time All-Star coach, second-winningest coach in franchise history, a coach whose team is currently second in the Western Conference with the fourth-best record in all of basketball, a coach who has not had a losing season in 17 years, a coach whose team was in the Western Conference Finals a year ago after taking it over with a 17-25 record in 2005, is being made to twist in the wind?

Usually, that’s the kind of coach that pretty much gets what he wants. In this case, that’s not the case. At least not yet. The decision Nuggets’ owner Stan Kroenke has to make balances the worth of the weight of Karl’s credentials vs. where he feels Karl can take the team in the future, given budget constraints. That’s not an easy contract term and money to find common ground on.

While he’s mulling the options, the organization could be put through a national meat grinder.

All-Star Weekend is the NBA’s Super Bowl. Media from all over the country attend, and while there are many other intriguing storylines, the All-Star Coach Who Has No Contract story will be near the top of the list.

The organization can ask/order Karl not to say anything when the questions flood in. Karl could elect to clam up on his own. But just the mere presence of that elephant in the room could turn the dimmer switch down a bit on an organization that has shined in the past few years because of savvy front office decisions.

As of now, Karl is in the last year of a six-year contract that is paying him $3 million plus incentives. The team picked up a three-year option on the deal in 2006.

According to Forbes magazine, it puts him well behind other coaches, based on last season’s figures. Some have won titles in their careers such as the Lakers’ Phil Jackson ($10 million salary), Celtics Doc Rivers ($5.5 million) and Charlotte’s Larry Brown ($7 million); and others still look to reach the mountaintop such as the Knicks’ Mike D’Antoni ($6 million) and Golden State’s Don Nelson ($6 million).

As a whole, NBA coaches are the highest paid of any professional sport at an average around $4 million. It means Karl is being paid below-average for above-average work.

This is what Kroenke said in 2006 when he picked up Karl’s option: “As we’ve said all along, we’re committed to building a championship-caliber team. The cornerstone of all championship teams is excellent coaches and players, and a passionate fan base.”

In 2003, Detroit fired Rick Carlisle, who won 100 games in two seasons, in favor of Brown because that organization felt the new guy could expedite the process of getting the Pistons a championship. We’ll never know if Carlisle could have done it, but the Brown gamble paid off in an NBA title the first season after he was hired.

Do the Nuggets take a similar path by letting Karl walk because they can’t come to an agreement? It assumes there’s a coach out there capable of finishing off what Karl started at a cheaper price. That’s a big assumption.

There are roster expenditures to think about. Carmelo Anthony is a max contract player. His negotiations are coming up next season as he can terminate his contract and become an unrestricted free agent in 2011. Nene can do the same thing next season. J.R. Smith will be in the last year of his contract next season, so a decision has to be made there. Kenyon Martin will be in the last year of his contract. Chauncey Billups will be in the last guaranteed year under his current contract.

The only Nuggets with guaranteed contracts beyond the 2011-12 season are Chris Andersen, Renaldo Balkman, and most likely Ty Lawson, but the team has to pick up the rookie’s option next season to make it official. All of this with a shrinking NBA salary cap, and a collective-bargaining agreement decision looming in December that could result in a lockout in 2011-12.

Karl isn’t the only front office decision Kroenke has on his plate. The Nuggets’ vice president of basketball operations, Mark Warkentien, a man who just won the NBA’s Executive of the Year in 2009, does not have a contract beyond this year. There is no doubt he’ll be coveted if he hits the market with others willing to pay more than he’s making with the Nuggets.

Where all of this ends up remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain – the basketball world’s attention will shine a bright light on the Karl issue beginning in just three short days. Kroenke is going to have to ride out the storm.

I can see Carmelo walking away from Denver when his contract allows him to terminate it. He must want to play under the bright lights soon. I can see him going to L.A., Boston, or even likely the Knicks due to his Syracuse connection. Also, don't rule out Washington (close to his hometown of Baltimore.)This is the final year the Nuggets have a chance at a title. After this year, it's over. They would be wise to make a major trade to get them over the hump. But no way Kroenke does it. He's too cheap.

Mike

I can see Carmelo walking away from Denver when his contract allows him to terminate it. He must want to play under the bright lights soon. I can see him going to L.A., Boston, or even likely the Knicks due to his Syracuse connection. Also, don't rule out Washington (close to his hometown of Baltimore.)This is the final year the Nuggets have a chance at a title. After this year, it's over. They would be wise to make a major trade to get them over the hump. But no way Kroenke does it. He's too cheap.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.

Nicki Jhabvala is the Sports Digital News Editor for The Denver Post. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor, and she was most recently the overnight home page editor at the New York Times.